By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah Parsha (LECH LECHA) begins with God’s words to Abram: “Go forth from your birthplace to the land which I will show you; and, I will make you into a great nation, bless you, and aggrandize your name” (1). The writers of the Midrash had many obvious […]
Author: AHWebMaint
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: NOACH (GENESIS 6:9-11:32)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah Parsha begins: “These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a righteous man for this generation; Noah walked with God” (1). Numerous commentaries have emerged, pertaining to the implication that ‘Noah was a righteous man’. In a rare ‘Torah Moment’, Torah scholars are actually in agreement […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: BEREISHIT (GENESIS 1:1-6:8)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant “In the beginning of God’s creation of the heavens and earth, God said: “Let there be light; and, there was light” (1). The first Torah Parsha (BEREISHIT) of the Book of Genesis is probably the most familiar of any other portions of the Torah. The wondrous origination of the […]
From Our Student Rabbi
This week’s parsha, Ki Tavo, opens with instructions on how to show gratitude upon entering the land of Israel, followed by a description of all the good which the Israelites can expect to receive in the land if they follow God’s instruction. This is immediately followed by the infamous aliyah of tochechah (rebuke): 53 straight verses […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: KI TAVO (DEUTERONOMY 26:1-29:8)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah congregant This week’s Parsha (KI TAVO) begins with instructions from Moses to the Children of Israel. They are directed that on the very day that they cross the Jordan, to create two huge stones, on which each word of the Torah will be clearly written. At this point, The Levites […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: KI TEITZEI (DEUTERONOMY 21:10-25:19)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah Parsha (KI TEITZEI) occurs as the Children of Israel are at the brink of embarking on war with hostile nations, as they tirelessly struggle to reach the ‘Promised Land’. The Parsha comprises seventy-four of the Torah’s six hundred and thirteen commandments; including marital issues; release of […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: SHOFTIM (DEUTERONOMY 16:18-21:9)
By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant In previous Parshiot in the Book of DEUTERONOMY, we learned how God began preparing for the establishment of a new nation in the ‘Promised Land’. Equal portions of the land were allotted, according to the population of each of the tribes. Last week’s Torah Parsha (RE’EH) emphasized the […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: RE’EH (DEUTERONOMY 11:26-16:17)
By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant “See, I am setting before you today the blessing and the curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your GOD, which I am giving to you today; the curse if you disobey the commandments of the Lord your GOD” (1). These are the first words […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: EKEV (DEUTERONOMY 7:12-11:25)
By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant In this week’s Parsha (EKEV), Moses continues his closing address to the Children of Israel, which he began in Parsha (DEVARIM), and expanded upon in last week’s Parsha (V’ETCHANAN). Moses clearly understands the risks for this new generation. They may not remember the miracles, which God had performed, to […]
A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: VETCHANAN (DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11)
By Joy Scott, Congregant In last week’s Torah Parsha (DEVARIM), we heard the words of Moses, as he explained to the Children of Israel the sins and transgressions committed by their forefathers, with the consequence that God banned them from entering the ‘Promised Land’. He also told them the reason he believed the he, also, […]